Margin notes: building a contextually aware associative memory

ABSTRACT

Both the Human Computer Interaction and Information Retrieval fields have developed techniques to allow a searcher to find the information they seek quickly. However, these techniques are designed to augment one's direct-recall memory, where the searcher is actively trying to find information. Associative memory, in contrast, happens automatically and continuously, triggering memories that relate to the observed world. This paper presents design techniques and heuristics for building “remembrance agents,” applications that watch a user's context and proactively suggest information that may be of use. General design issues are discussed and illuminated by a description of Margin Notes, an automatic just-in-time information system for the Web.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL

Additional Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

General Terms:
Design, Documentation, Experimentation

Keywords:
World Wide Web browsers, contextual interfaces, remembrance agents, software agents